Protector for automobiles, &amp;c.



s. 0. PARTINGTON. PROTECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1909.

Patented Sept. 13,1910.

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Masses/r s. c. PARTINGTON, PROTECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES, 6w.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 18, 1909.

S. G. PARTINGTON.

PROTECTOR FOB. AUTOMOBILES, 6w.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 18, 1909.

Patented Sept. 13,1910.

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S. O. PARTINGTON.

- PROTECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES, 6w.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN.18, 1909.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

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SUSAN C. PARTINGTON, 0F BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

PROTECTOR FOR AUTOMOBILES, 850.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 13, 1910.

Application filed January 18, 1909. Serial No. 472,837.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SUSAN O. PARTINGTON, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Protectors for Automobiles, &c., of which the following is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to'a protector for vehicles such as automobiles, carriages and the like from dust while they are stored in the garage or carriage house and not in use, and more particularly to a protector for this purpose which will be automatically rendered inoperative or operative upon opening or closing the door of the opening through which the automobile or carriage passes into and out of the garage or carriage house.

It is the object of this invention to provide an improved protector for this purpose which will effectually guard the automobile or carriage against dust; which is manipulated automatically upon opening and closing the door of the garage, and which will remain reliably in its operative position while in use.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of four sheets: Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of one form of garage or carriage house equipped with my improved protector and showing the cover raised from an automobile. Figs. 2 and 3 are vertical transverse sections taken in the (JOJTIQSPUIKL ingly numbered lines in Fig. 1, but showing the cover or canopy lowered over the automobile. Fig. 4: is a perspective View showing the means for holding the cover in its distended position, the means for raising or lowering the cover, and the means for opening and closing the door of the garage. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the garage equipped with a modification of the means for raising and lowering the cover. Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section of the garage shown in the last mentioned figure looking forwardly or toward the door thereof and showing the latter closed and the cover lowered. Fig. 7 is a horizontal section taken in line 77, Fig. 6 but showing the door of the garage open.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Figs. 1 1, A represents a garage, house or building for storing an automobile, carriage or other vehicle and B the door which closes the opening or doorway I) through which the automobile enters and leaves the garage. This door is pivoted at its lower end on the sill of the door frame or opening, so that it can be swung in a vertical plane into an upright position for closing t 1e door opening or into the horizontal or inclined position for uncovering the door opening. While in this lower or open position, the door serves as a runway or bridge over which the automobile passes in entering or leaving the garage.

WVith this object in view my invention consists in utilizing the door of the garage as a runway for the vehicle while entering and leaving the same; in connecting the door with the canopy, so that the latter is automatically raised from the vehicle when the door is opened, and lowered over the vehicle when the door is closed, and in improving the means for limiting the downward movement of the canopy and holding the same in a distended posit-ion.

Various means may be provided for raising and lowering the door into its closed or open position, the means for this purpose shown in Figs. 1 and t being suitable and comprising a substantially endless shifting rope, cable or other flexible member C which is connected at one point with the outer side of the door adjacent to one of its longitlulinal edges and near the tree edge thereof and passing with its upper bight around a guide pulley or wheel 0 mounted on the adjacent upper part of the building or other stationary support. Upon pulling one side of this shifting rope the door will be 'aised into its upright closed position while upon pulling the other side of the same the door will be lowered into its open position. In the last mentioned position of the door its outer or free end may rest upon the ground or other stationary part so as to form a reliable support for the automobile running over the same. \Vhile the door is in its closed position the same may be fastened by a lock, latch or other suitable fastening to prevent unauthorized persons from opening this door, but if it is only desired to hold the door in its closed position this may be effected by winding the lifting side of the rope C around a cleat (Z on the adjacent part of the building or other stationary support.

Although the body of the cover or canopy may be constructed in various forms and of various kinds of material, it is preferable to construct the same of canvas or other flexible material so as to form two longitudinal upright side walls E, E, two upright transverse end walls F, F and a horizontal top G connecting the upper edges of the side and end walls. A cover is thus produced which has the form of a rectangular hood having a closed top and an open bottom, as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and l. For the purpose of adding to the weight of the body of the cover so that it drops promptly by gravity, and also for keeping the body of the cover in its distended position both when unfolded and folded, distending means are provided which preferably consist of two lower longitudinal bars or rods H, H which are secured in longitudinal pockets it, h at the lower edges of the side Walls of the flexible body, two upper longitudinal bars J, J which are secured in pockets j, j at the upper longitudinal edges of the side walls, two lower transverse bars I, I secured in transverse pockets 2', 2' at the lower edges of the front and rear end walls of the flexible body, and an upper transverse bar K arranged in a transverse pocket on the central part of the top of the flexible body.

The downward movement of the cover and the distending devices are limited or arrested when the cover is fully unfolded or nearly so, and its lower edge rests upon the floor of the garage so as to prevent the cover from resting on top of the automobile which is being inclosed and also keep the same in shape and present a neat appearance while it is in use. The means for thus limiting the downward movement of the cover may be varied but preferably consists of two hangers L, .L constructed of rope or similar flexible material which are secured at their lower ends in eyes m arrai'iged at opposite ends of the upper transverse bar K while their upper ends are attached to eyes m or other fastenings secured to the ceiling of the garage or other suitable support. Upon lowering the cover, the same descends until the slack in the hangers has been exhausted after which the downward movement of the cover is arrested and suspended by the hangers. The length of these hangers is such that the lower edge of the cover engages the floor of the garage by the time the slack has become exhausted, thereby enabling the cover to engage reliably with the floor and preventing any dust in the garage from reaching the automobile which is inclosed by the cover and effectually protecting the automobile from such dust while the cover is in use.

' The means for raising and lowering the cover or canopy may be varied widely but those shown in Figs. l-l answer the purpose and are preferred on account of their simplicity and low cost and comprise four lifting ropes N, N, N N each of which is secured at its lower end to an eye a atone end. of a lower longitudinal bar H and passes thence upwardly through a plurality of guide rings or loops 0 arranged in a Vertical series or row on the inner side of the adjacent upright corner of the cover, thence loosely through an eye p on the corresponding end of one of the upper longitudinal bars J thence upwardly through an opening in the top of the cover and outwardly over a guide pulley or wheel 9 arranged on the ceiling of the garage or other support, and thence forwardly and downwardly over intermediate guide wheels or pulleys r, r mounted on the ceiling and front wall of the garage or other support. The front ends of the lifting ropes on the same side of the cover are united below the intermediate guide pulleys r and secured to a single shifting rope 8. Upon pulling on the two shifting ropes the initial part of this movement will cause the lower part of the cover to be first moved toward the upper part thereof and folded and during the last or final portion of this movement of the shifting rope the cover in this folded con- 7 dition will be raised sufliciently to permit the automobile to move freely into and out of the space on the floor below the cover without interfering with the latter.

The opening and closing movement of the door of the garage is utilized to effect an automatic raising and lowering of the cover and this is preferably accomplished by passing each of the shifting ropes s downwardly and upwardly around a lower guide pulley or wheel 25 mounted on the inner side of the building adjacent to the bottom of the door opening, thence over an upper guide wheel or pulley u mounted on the inner side of the building adjacent to the top of the door opening and then connects with the inner side of the door adjacent to the corresponding longitudinal edge and near the upper free end thereof. By means of this connection between the shifting ropes and the door, these ropes will be pulled and cause the cover to be raised and folded into its inoperative position upon swinging the door downwardly into its open position while upon raising the door into its closed position the shifting ropes and lift ing ropes will be paid out and permitthe cover to unfold and descend by gravity into its operative position. By thus raising and lowering the cover automatically upon opening and closing the door,- a separate operation for this purpose is unnecessary, thereby rendering it possible to get the automobile ready quicker and also permitting of stowing it more rapidly after the same has been used.

Instead of pivoting the door of the garage at its lower edge, the same may be otherwise hinged or movably connected with the building and connected with the cover, so that the movement of the door will cause the canopy or cover to be raised and lowcred. For instance, as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 the door B may be mounted on the building so that it slides horizontally upon opening or closing the doorway 6 In this modified arrangement, the shifting ropes t pass around guide pulleys a, a on the innor side of the building adjacent to the upper part of the doorway and are attached at their outer ends to the inner side of the door so that upon sliding the same horizontally into its open position, the shifting ropes will be pulled in the same direction and the canopy or cover will be raised while upon closing the door the shil'ting ropes will be paid out and permit the cover to lower by gravity. By thus raising the cover from the automobile upon opening the garage door and lowering the cover over the automobile upon closing the door of the garage, these operations are performed simultaneously and avoids the necessity of operating the cover separately from the door which is important when the question of time and convenience is considered as in the case of a physician about to respond to an emergency call.

My improved protector for automobiles and carriages is comparatively simple and inexpensive in construction and convenient in use and materially aids in keeping the vehicle free from dust and in presentable condition without requiring an undue amount of work as is necessary where the same is constantly exposed and requires the expenditure of considerable time for dust ing or otherwise cleaning the same.

I claim as my invention:

1. A protector for vehicles comprising a house having a. doorway for the entrance and exit of a vehicle, a door pivoted at its lower end to the sill of the doorway to swing in a vertical plane, a cover movable over or away from the vehicle space, and means for causing said door to move said cover into and out of its operative position.

2. A protector for vehicles comprising a house having a doorway for the entrance and exit of a vehicle, a door pivoted at its lower end to the sill of the doorway to swing in a vertical plane, a cover movable over or away from the vehicle space, and means for causing said door to move said cover into and out of its operative position comprising flexible members operatively connecting the cover with the free end of the door, and guides over which said members pass.

3. A 'n'otector for vehicles comprising a. house having a doorway for the entrance and exit of a vehicle, a door pivoted at its lower end to the sill of the door to swin in a vertical plane, a flexible cover adapted to be lowered and raised into its operative and inoperative position, and means for causing the door to raise said cover as the door opens and to lower the cover as the door closes comprising lifting ropes secured to the lower parts of the cover at the corners thereof and passing loosely through openings in the upper part thereof, guides over which said lilting ropes pass, shifting ropes each connecting a pair of lifting ropes on the same side of the cover with the free end of the door, and guides which are arranged at the bottom and top of said doorway and over which said shifting ropes pass.

-it. A protector for vehicles comprising a flexible cover which is closed at the top and open at the bottom, means for raising and lowering said cover relatively to the vehicle, and means limiting the downward movement of the cover comprising a cross bar secured transversely to the central upper part of the cover and provided at its opposite ends with eyes, and flexible hangers secured at their lower ends to said eyes and attached at their upper ends to stationary supports.

5. A protector for vehicles comprising a flexible cover which is closed at the top and open at the bottom, and means for raising and lowering said cover relatively to the vehicle comprising lower longitudinal bars secured to the opposite sides of the lower part of the cover and each provided at opposite ends with eyes, upper longitudinal bars secured lo the opposite sides of the upper part ot the (-ove' and arch provided at opposite ends with eyes, and lifting ropes each secured to one of the eyes of one of the lower bars and passing loosely through one of the eyes of one of the upper bars, a transverse cross bar secured centrally in the upper part of the cover and provided at opposite ends with eyes, and flexible hangers secured at their lower ends to the eyes of said central bar and attached at their upper ends to a support.

Witness my hand this 12th day of January, 1909.

SUSAN C. PARTINGTON.

lVitnesses:

THEO. L. Porr, EMMA M. GRAHAM. 

